DE 602 23 640 T2 discloses a position switch which has a housing in which a device that is able to move translationally and an electric switch assembly that is actuable by this device are arranged. A manoeuvre head is fitted so that it is removable and angularly variable in a recess of the housing, said recess opening out onto a fitting surface of the housing. For this purpose, the manoeuvre head has a tubular bearing surface which houses a push button which is actuated directly or indirectly by an object and is able to slide along the translation axis in order to interact with the movable device.
It is known here that it is often desirable to be able to adjust the position of the manoeuvre head of such a switch. Such adjustment may be necessary for example when it is desired to mount the switch in a predetermined position. For this purpose, the manoeuvre head has an external toothing with outer notches which interact with inner notches of an internal toothing which is provided in the recess in the housing or the opening of the housing. The inner notches can be provided at the same intervals or at multiple intervals with respect to the external toothing, in order to increase the diversity of uses.
In the case of a position switch known from JP H11-167 844 A, a pivoting lever is fixable in different angular positions on a shaft of the position switch by means of a crown toothing. Finally, DE 20 36 853 A furthermore discloses to fix housings of signalling devices so as to be settable at any desired angle to one another by means of a crown toothing.
However, it is a disadvantage that toothings having an external and an internal toothing demand flawless pairings, with the result that the design is complex. This is the case in particular when an angular and rotationally locked assignment of actuating head and housing to one another shall be possible in the entire pivoting range of preferably 360° in selectable steps in accordance with the tooth pitch.